The safety of all students and staff within the Division is our number one priority and we take all
possible threats seriously. An emergency lockdown was issued for all Salt River Schools by the Salt River
Police Department at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, for a police situation occurring off school
property but within the vicinity of our sites. We do not have any more information about this ongoing
police investigation.

After the lockdown order came, the Safe Schools and Security team ensured lockdown procedures were
followed at individual sites, including students and staff staying in locked rooms away from windows.
Parents/guardians who came to pick up their students after the lockdown was in place were instructed
to leave the area until told to come pick up their children by Division officials.

An official notice via phone and email to parents and guardians went out to all emergency contacts on
file through our One Call Now system, including regular status updates. Administration staff actively
answered phones as parents/guardians called in with questions. The lockdown order was lifted and
another One Call Now notification went out to parent/guardian emergency contacts at 5:53 p.m. All
after-school activities, including athletic practices, were canceled.

Salt River Schools undergo critical emergency response training throughout the year, including
simulated drills with students, to ensure everyone’s safety in an incident like this, and it is imperative we
have the full cooperation and understanding of parents/guardians.

• Within the building, staff and faculty must secure students in pre-determined safe rooms, such
as classrooms without windows. They are to remain in the locked rooms until an official
notification is announced by Division officials.

• Outside of the lockdown, parents and guardians are asked to keep a safe distance or in some
situations meet at a specific staging area and await Division instructions. No students will be
released until after the official decision is made to lift the lockdown. Official notifications are
sent out via phone and email to emergency contacts to keep parents/guardians updated on the
situation, so please make sure your student’s school registrar has your current information on
file. These notifications will show up on your phone as coming from our Administration main
line: (480) 362-2500, so please listen to the message and refrain from calling our buildings to
avoid jamming the phone lines during crisis situations.

None of our safety procedures are intended to create difficulties or annoyances for anyone, and we
hope you agree that these protocols—from our communication with law enforcement to our
communication with parents/guardians—are conducted with our students’ best interests and safety in
mind.

We are proud of the quick and immediate action taken by faculty and staff, who were at all times
conducting themselves with care and concern for our students’ safety.

Should you have any questions, please direct them to Taté Walker, Salt River Schools Communications
& Public Relations Director, at (480) 362-2570 or Tate.Walker@srpmic-ed.org.